Find Warrants in Bakersfield

Bakersfield warrant records include active arrest warrants and bench warrants issued through Kern County Superior Court. The Bakersfield Police Department serves warrants within city limits and maintains records on wanted suspects. Kern County does not offer a public online warrant search, so you must contact the court or police directly to check if you have a warrant. Warrant info is not released over the phone by most offices, so an in-person visit is often required. The Bakersfield PD publishes a wanted warrant suspects list on its website with names and photos of people with outstanding warrants. If you think you may have a warrant in Bakersfield, the best step is to visit the police department with valid ID and ask for a warrant check.

Kern County Handles Bakersfield Warrants

Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County. All court warrants for Bakersfield residents are issued by Kern County Superior Court. The main courthouse is in downtown Bakersfield at 1415 Truxtun Avenue. When a judge issues a warrant in Bakersfield, it is filed with the Kern County Sheriff at 1350 Norris Road. The sheriff keeps the warrant files for the entire county. Local police in Bakersfield can access the system to see active warrants.

Kern County has a strict policy on warrant info. The sheriff website states that warrant information is not released over the phone. The subject of the warrant must appear in person at the Kern County Justice Facility to request a warrant check. This applies to Bakersfield residents as well. You cannot call and ask if you have a warrant. You must go in person with your ID.

For more details on how Kern County processes warrants, see the Kern County warrant records page. That page covers the county court system, sheriff warrant policies, and how to turn yourself in on a warrant.

Bakersfield Police Department Warrants

The Bakersfield Police Department is at 1601 Truxtun Avenue in downtown Bakersfield. The main phone number is (661) 327-7111. The department serves the city limits of Bakersfield. If you live in unincorporated parts of Kern County or other cities, the county sheriff handles law enforcement instead.

The Bakersfield Police publishes a wanted warrant suspects list on the city website. This list shows people with active warrants who the department is actively looking for. The list includes photos, names, dates of birth, and the charges. If you see your name or photo on this list, you have an active warrant. Contact the police or a lawyer right away to deal with it. Being on this public list means the warrant is serious and the police are trying to find you.

To check if you have a warrant in Bakersfield, visit the police department in person. Bring a valid ID like a driver's license or state ID card. Ask at the front desk for a warrant check. The staff will search the county database. If a warrant shows up, they will tell you what it is for and what the bail amount is. Depending on the charge, they may arrest you on the spot or give you instructions to turn yourself in at the jail.

For arrest records or police reports from Bakersfield, you request them through the police department records division. Call ahead to ask what you need and what the fee is. Some reports are free if you were the victim. Other reports may have a fee based on the number of pages.

Kern County Court Warrant Information

Kern County Superior Court has a main location in Bakersfield and branch courts in other cities. For warrant info, you call the criminal division if the warrant is for a felony or misdemeanor. For traffic warrants, call the traffic division. The court uses different phone numbers for each type of case.

For felony and misdemeanor warrants, call (661) 610-6000 and choose option 4. This line goes to the criminal clerk. Tell them you want to check if you have a warrant. They will ask for your name and date of birth. If they find a warrant, they will tell you the case number and what you need to do next. Most bench warrants can be cleared by coming to court before a certain time in the morning. Ask the clerk for the surrender calendar times.

For traffic warrants, call (661) 610-7000 and choose option 1. Traffic warrants are common in Bakersfield. If you got a ticket and did not go to court or pay the fine, a bench warrant was likely issued. The traffic clerk can look up your case and tell you how much you owe. You may be able to pay the fine and clear the warrant without being arrested. Ask about your options when you call.

The Kern County court portal at portal.kern.courts.ca.gov lets you search for cases by name or case number. This portal shows case info like charges, court dates, and disposition. It may not show the warrant itself, but it will show if you have a failure to appear or missed court date. Use this portal to get your case number before you call the court.

Types of Warrants in Bakersfield

Warrants in Bakersfield fall into two main types. Bench warrants and arrest warrants. Each type has a different cause and different legal rules. Both types can lead to arrest, so it is important to know which one you face and how to deal with it.

Bench warrants are issued when you fail to appear in court or do not follow a court order. Traffic cases are a big source of bench warrants in Bakersfield. If you get a ticket and do not show up on the court date, the judge issues a bench warrant. California Vehicle Code section 40508 makes it a misdemeanor to willfully fail to appear on a traffic citation. The warrant goes out within days of the missed date. Once active, you can be arrested at any traffic stop or police contact.

Arrest warrants come from criminal investigations. Police ask a judge to sign a warrant when they have proof you committed a crime. The judge reviews the facts and signs the warrant if there is probable cause. California Penal Code sections 813 through 829 set the rules for arrest warrants. The warrant must list the crime, your name, and the bail amount. Police can serve the warrant at your home, at work, or anywhere they find you in Bakersfield.

Some warrants are for felonies, some for misdemeanors. Felony warrants have higher bail and more serious consequences. You cannot pay a fine and walk away. You will be booked into jail and must see a judge before bail is set or you are released. Misdemeanor warrants may allow you to post bail right away or turn yourself in at a set time without going to jail first.

Search warrants are different. They let police search a place for evidence. They do not arrest you with a search warrant alone, but if they find illegal items, they can arrest you and ask for an arrest warrant later.

Note: All warrants in Bakersfield stay active until you deal with them in court, even if many years have passed.

Clearing a Warrant in Bakersfield

To clear a warrant in Bakersfield, you need to deal with Kern County Superior Court. The court has several options depending on the type of warrant and the charge. For minor bench warrants, you may be able to schedule a court date without being arrested. For serious arrest warrants, you might need to turn yourself in at the jail and post bail.

For bench warrants on traffic or misdemeanor cases, call the court and ask about the warrant surrender calendar. Many courts let you come in early in the morning to be seen the same day. You check in with the clerk before the calendar starts. The judge will call your case and decide if you can be released or if you need to post bail. Bring money for bail if the clerk tells you it is required.

For arrest warrants with high bail, you may need to turn yourself in at the Kern County Jail. The main jail is at 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield. Call ahead to ask what time to come in. Bring your ID and be ready to be booked. You will be fingerprinted and photographed. Then you can post bail if the amount is not too high. Bail can be paid with cash, a credit card, or a bail bond. If you use a bond, you pay a bondsman about ten percent of the bail amount.

Some warrants say "no bail." This means you must stay in custody until you see a judge. The jail will set a court date for you, usually within a few days. At that hearing, the judge will decide if you can be released or if bail will be set. Talk to a lawyer before you turn yourself in if you have a no bail warrant.

Paying bail does not end your case. It just gets you out of jail while the case is pending. You still have to go to court on the dates they give you. If you miss another date, another warrant will be issued. Keep all court papers and mark your calendar with the dates. Set reminders so you do not forget.

Legal Help in Bakersfield

If you cannot afford a lawyer for a warrant case in Bakersfield, you may qualify for a public defender. Kern County Public Defender has an office at the courthouse. When you first appear in court on a warrant, tell the judge you need a public defender. The judge will give you a form to fill out about your income. If you qualify, the public defender will be assigned to your case. This lawyer will represent you for free in criminal cases.

Public defenders do not handle traffic tickets unless the ticket has a criminal charge attached. For simple traffic warrants, you may have to represent yourself or hire a private lawyer. Some private traffic lawyers in Bakersfield offer flat fees to clear warrants and handle traffic cases. Ask for the total cost before you hire them.

Legal aid groups in Kern County focus on civil cases, not criminal defense. They help with housing, family law, and consumer issues. If your warrant is tied to a civil case, like contempt in a family court matter, they might be able to help. Call Kern County legal aid organizations to ask if your case fits their programs.

The California Courts Self-Help website at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov has guides for looking up cases and understanding court procedures. The site explains how to find case info and what to do if you have a warrant. It is a good place to start if you want to learn before you go to court.

Nearby Kern County Areas

Other cities and areas in Kern County use the same Superior Court and sheriff system. If you need to check warrants in multiple locations, the process is the same.

• Delano - Smaller city in northern Kern County, uses same court system
• Ridgecrest - Eastern Kern County city with its own police department
• Tehachapi - Mountain city in eastern Kern County
• Arvin - Small city south of Bakersfield

All these cities file warrants through Kern County Superior Court. The sheriff in Bakersfield keeps the warrant files for the whole county. Warrant checks work the same way no matter which Kern County city you are in.